


When I'm Sixty-Four

by nerdcredred, Ocelot_l



Series: Lifetimes [8]
Category: Atop the Fourth Wall, That Guy with the Glasses/Channel Awesome
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdcredred/pseuds/nerdcredred, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ocelot_l/pseuds/Ocelot_l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey and Linkara don't often think about their age difference, but perhaps the lines between youth and maturity are not as prominent as they assumed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When I'm Sixty-Four

**Author's Note:**

> All works can also be found at my LiveJournal page at http://bookishlady242.livejournal.com/
> 
> We do not own these characters nor the people who portray these characters. This is meant as a work of fiction and is fair use. "When I'm Sixty-Four" is performed by The Beatles.

Linkara and his team were all huddled up in the living room of the base, breathing hard and coughing slightly as they tried to wipe some disgusting sort of sludge off their bodies. 90s Kid wheezed from his spot on the floor and somehow managed to form words. “Dude… that was, like, the most BOGUS mission EVER.”

“You said it,” Harvey managed to gasp out, holding a handkerchief to his face so as not to cough on anybody, though by this point it didn’t really matter. “Honestly, Kid, what on earth was that?” Linkara was leaning against Harvey, who didn’t mind since his suit was going to be burned the minute he got out of it anyway, and took several deep breaths before answering.

“I honestly had no idea we would have to venture into such a toxic area. The smell of that place is going to haunt my nightmares for weeks,” Linkara moaned regretfully, wishing he’d known what they would be up against before setting out.

“Well, thank heavens it was a success, because you couldn’t drag me back there again if you paid me,” Linksano muttered. He’d already scurried into his lab upon arriving home, showered, and changed into a completely new outfit within the span of a few minutes before coming back out with a scanner in his hand. He waved the device at each member of the team who’d been at the site before staring at the screen for the results. Linkara turned to his trusty robot and sighed.

“Pollo, the next time we head out to an unidentified location, we’re going to make sure it’s not another dumping ground like this one.”

“Understood,” Pollo replied as he hovered around handing out HandiWipes.

*I don’t think these will be of much help.* Ninja-Style Dancer pointed out before shaking some muck from his card.

“Yeah, thanks, Pollo, but we need to just take showers and change clothes immediately,” Linkara said as he surveyed the living room with dismay. “While we do that, you set to work on sterilizing this place.”

“Okay, Linkara.” The group was about to disperse when Linksano called for them to halt.

“I’m extremely unnerved by the toxicology report given to me by the tricorder, so I’d appreciate it if everyone could keep still a moment as I determine if anything’s seriously wrong.” Everyone grumbled unhappily at being delayed from a new set of clothes, but managed to keep still as Linksano went around scanning everyone who had been on the ill-fated trip – Boffo had stayed home to look over the accounts, of course – and checked the results carefully.

“Oh, dear, this isn’t good,” Linksano muttered, clicking his teeth. “No, this isn’t good at all…”

“Are you gonna keep us in suspense or are you gonna tell us what’s going on?” Linkara snapped. He wasn’t normally so short with the scientist, but that horrible smell was starting to overwhelm him. Linksano pinched his nose before moving closer to show Linkara the readings off his scanner.

“According to these results, the toxic atmosphere of that environment has caused our immune systems to be weakened slightly. Now, it’s nothing serious or life-threatening, but we must take extra precautions just in case, especially since the colder weather is still lingering.” Linksano rubbed his chin, pondering a little. “Come to the lab after you’ve cleaned yourselves off, please. Two at a time if you would, it gets a bit cramped in there.”

\----

Five showers later (Linkara had taken two), the team was finally ready to follow Linksano’s instructions. The first two who entered the lab were Linkara and 90s Kid, both curious as to what the doctor had planned. They moved toward his exam table and Linkara swallowed hard as he found Linksano preparing several syringes.

“Alright, I have here some flu vaccinations that should prevent us from getting sick while chill weather and its litany of viruses, illnesses, and common colds are still with us. I have already administered one to myself and, as the resident medical professional, I shall now inject you all!” He cackled in a somewhat unsettling manner.

90s Kid looked nonplussed by this news but Linkara went strangely pale. "Uh, L-Linksano don't you have a pill or something we can take?”

"Sadly, you can't receive this kind of medicine in pill form, Linkara,” Linksano replied as he picked up one of the syringes. “My SCIENCE is more advanced than most, but even I have yet to fully comprehend and master the workings of the human body.”

This was not what Linkara wanted to hear. “Uh, well, maybe I don't even need one of those. So what if my immune system is compromised? I hardly ever get sick anyway-I didn't even get the flu last year!" Linksano shook his head, preparing the syringe by tapping it a few times.

“Sorry, but I must insist upon this. You’re our leader, Linkara. You of all people need this injection to make sure you’re in tip-top shape." Linkara still looked unconvinced, so 90s Kid grinned at him as he rolled up his sleeve.

"Oh, c'mon, Linkara, it's only a shot! It'll only, like, hurt for a minute! Don’t be a wimp, dude.”

"You're the last person I wanted to hear that from," Linkara muttered while Linksano checked for a vein in the teen’s arm before dabbing it with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. He brought the syringe close to his arm and 90s Kid focused on a spot on the wall, his demeanor still casual and calm.

"Alright, 90s Kid, in 3, 2, 1..." Linkara winced as 90s Kid merely exhaled and squeezed his hand into a fist. After only a few moments, Linksano removed the needle and bandaged up his arm. "There you go! A dinosaur band-aid and a Tootsie Pop for being a good patient!" He grinned, handing him a lollipop from out of his jacket.

“Whoa, awesome! Thanks, dude!” 90s Kid took the treat and happily unwrapped it while Linksano gestured for Linkara to come forward.

“Every good doctor knows how to keep his patients happy. Alright, Linkara, your turn. If you’re a good boy, you can have a lollipop too.”

Linkara walked on shaky legs over to the table. "I... I hate needles…” he said, his voice barely a whisper as he eyed the syringe with wide blue eyes. He saw Linksano coming toward him and instantly backed up, scurrying behind the table. The doctor stared at him, surprised, before calling out softly to him.

“Linkara? Would you mind coming out now? I can’t give you this injection if you retreat like that.”

“I-I don’t need it,” Linkara said in a voice that wavered more the longer he looked at the needle. “I’m p-perfectly healthy and d-definitely do not need a sh-shot.”

Linksano shared a look with 90s Kid, who had glanced up from his candy to watch Linkara in puzzlement.

“Um, has this ever happened before?”

“I dunno, dude. Usually Linkara and Harvey, like, go to the doctor’s together, so I didn’t know he was, like so totally scared and junk.”

“I’m not scared,” Linkara insisted, but the moment Linksano tried to approach him again, he pulled his Magic Gun from his pocket and aimed at the other man’s head. “You just stay back!”

Startled, Linksano quickly froze and lifted his hands slightly in surrender. “Linkara, please, let’s not get violent here. I’m not trying to hurt you, I promise. This injection is needed to ensure your continued good health. Please, calm down, and put that thing away!”

“Linkara-dude, you gotta chill out!” 90s Kid cried out fretfully, his eyes traveling back and forth from the gun to the now-trembling scientist.

“I-I can’t,” Linkara admitted, his hands starting to shake. “I can’t do this…”

“Just hold on, man.” As quick as he could move his legs, 90s Kid fled from the lab, ran into the living room, grabbed Harvey by the arm, and dragged him back into the room.

“Hey, Junior, what is this?” Harvey complained, unhappy at how his sleeve was now covered in some sticky substance. “What’s the big idea…?” Harvey trailed off when he took in the sight before him. Linkara was still aiming his weapon at Linksano, both looking panicked almost to tears, but the sight of Harvey made Linkara’s trembling start to lessen.

“Kid, what are you doing? You gotta put that away right now.”

“H-Harvey, I… I’m…” Linkara swallowed thickly and bit his lip, which was enough of a signal for the singer. He made his way to Linkara’s side and slid his hands over the younger man’s, gently prying the gun from his hands.

“There we go, Kid. It’s all gonna be okay.” Harvey handed the Magic Gun over to 90s Kid before slipping a warm hand into Linkara’s. “Now, what’s the problem here?”

“I can explain that,” Linksano said, lowering his arms and looking very relieved. “I apologize for frightening you so badly, Linkara, but it really is imperative that you have this injection done. Harvey, I could use your help with this. Please keep him calm until I can give him the shot.”

“Sorry about this,” Linkara muttered, looking fully ashamed of himself as Harvey sat down beside him. Harvey offered him a reassuring smile, squeezing his hand a little.

“C’mon, Kid, this is no sweat at all. I know you can do it. It’ll only take a minute. Less than that, even.” Linkara swallowed hard and nodded, before squeezing his eyes shut and subsequently squeezing the singer’s hand, while Linksano rolled up his sleeve to swab his arm.

“Okay, Linkara, in 3, 2, 1…” Linkara cringed and held to Harvey in a death-grip, though Harvey didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. “Is it… done yet?” he squeaked out seconds later. Harvey patted his arm soothingly while Linksano applied the bandage.

“Yes, you’re all done, Linkara. See? Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Linksano offered him a lollipop and a smile as 90s Kid came over to squeeze Linkara’s shoulders warmly.

“Yeah, man, you did totally good! Needles are so bogus.” Linkara suddenly shrugged all of his friends off and swiftly fled the lab, lowering the brim of his hat over his reddening face. Linksano looked puzzled and 90s Kid looked somewhat hurt, but Harvey sighed and knew exactly what was going on.

“It’s alright, Junior, he’s not mad at you. Just give him some space, he’ll come around.”

“For now, Harvey, I need to give you your shot. And 90s Kid, can you go fetch Ninja-Style Dancer?” As if on cue, the Ninja suddenly appeared behind Linksano, who spun to face him around in shock. “Good heavens, Ninja, how long have you been here?”

*I move like a whisper.* His card read.

\-----

Harvey gently tapped on Linkara’s bedroom door. “Kid?”

“Go away.” Harvey sighed and, refusing to be deterred, knocked again.

“Kid, c’mon, please open the door. I’m worried about you.”

“Why? Because I’m a baby?” Linkara’s voice was bitter.

“Dammit, Kid, you’re not a baby. Nobody thinks that, least of all me, so will you please let me in?” Harvey took the resulting silence as an invitation and opened the door, spying Linkara sitting up on his bed and hugging his knees as he stared moodily at nothing. Harvey closed the door and sat down next to him, folding his hands in his lap. “You okay?”

“I can’t believe how embarrassing I was back there,” Linkara mumbled into his knees. “I’m supposed to be the leader; I’m supposed to be fearless. I’ve faced enemy after enemy, I’ve defeated Pyramid Head, Mechakara, Lord Vyce, the Entity… and yet I can’t handle a stupid needle.” Harvey watched him contemplatively, deciding not to speak for now so Linkara could get everything out in peace. “I was so ridiculous down there. I mean, I pulled my frigging gun on Linksano! What is wrong with me? 90s Kid got that shot like it was nothing and he’s a kid! So why couldn’t I do that?”

“Everybody has fears, Kid,” Harvey at last told him softly. “Sometimes even when we can act brave in tough situations, we get scared in the small situations. It’s just how people tick, and that’s okay. Don’t worry your head too much about Junior; he’s afraid of thunderstorms, remember? He has little fears too. All of us do.”

Linkara turned his head slightly to look at him. “What’s yours?” Harvey reached out and patted his hand, looking down slightly in embarrassment. “Is he blushing?” Linkara thought with surprise.

“I, uh, have a fear of flying. I’ve flown on a bunch of planes in my life, but I nearly start hyperventilating when I do. It’s rough whenever I have to head to Vegas or somewhere out west, so I need to take a sleeping pill so I don’t go off my rocker.” Harvey blushed a little deeper when he realized how much he’d said. “So, yeah, that’s my fear, Kid.”

Linkara gave a small smile and entwined their hands together. “That’s not a bad fear to have, Harvey. Nothing to be ashamed of.” Harvey squeezed his hand and gave him a knowing look.

“And being scared of needles is nothing to be ashamed of either.” Linkara’s smile disappeared and he put his head down again.

“But I acted like a… a big baby. You must’ve been so embarrassed by me…” Harvey put an arm over his shoulder and made Linkara face him, looking him straight in the eyes. Linkara felt himself shiver a bit; he always did when Harvey gave him one of his soul-piercing stares like this.

“Listen to me, Kid. You’re not a baby; I don’t ever wanna hear you say that. It’s okay to be scared, and being afraid of pain is something that everybody faces. I used to take needles badly when I was younger, but I ended up getting so many vaccinations during my time in the Navy that I got used to them. But it still hurts, and it doesn’t mean I like them. You may be young, but you’re no baby. You’re brave, the bravest guy I know, but that doesn’t mean you’re fearless. So remember this, Kid: no matter what happens, I’ll always be there to hold your hand when you need it.”

His cheeks crimson once again, Linkara gave a small smile and nodded. “Thanks, Harvey.” Harvey smiled back and kissed him.

“Anytime, Kid.”

\-----

The next day, Linkara was still feeling a bit self-conscious about the incident in Linksano’s lab. Harvey’s speech had helped him calm down somewhat, but the embarrassment kept playing through his mind, even seeping into his dreams, until he awoke to found he had a terrible headache. Rubbing his temples to try to soothe them, Linkara went to the bathroom in search of some aspirin. He soon discovered the bottle was empty, and that it was the last one in the house.

“Just perfect,” Linkara grumbled, really not feeling up to driving down to the pharmacy right then. As he was about to exit the bathroom, he almost bumped into Harvey. “Oh! Sorry, Harvey.”

“S’okay, Kid. Say, what’s with the long face?”

“My head is killing me and we’re out of aspirin,” Linkara informed him before chucking the empty bottle into the trash can. Harvey leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead.

“I think I have a bottle in my room. Check the first drawer of my dresser, Kid.”

“Really? Thanks a lot, Harvey, I owe you for this.” Linkara gave him a brief hug before hurrying into the older man’s bedroom. He pulled open the top drawer and scanned his eyes over the small bottles laying in a neat row on top of Harvey’s socks. There was one bottle pushed almost to the very back of the drawer so Linkara pulled it out for further study. When he fully took in what was on the label, his eyes widened in shock. “Huh? What is this… Cialis? Since when does Harvey need -”

“You call me, Kid?” Linkara looked behind him, startled, and then realized he still had the pill bottle in his hand. Harvey noticed which bottle it was and he suddenly felt the heat rise up his neck. He coughed and turned his head away slightly, but the embarrassment was still plain on his face. Linkara quickly threw the bottle down and shut the drawer a bit harder than he’d meant to, wincing at the slam.

“I-I didn’t mean to see that! I was trying to find the aspirin, like I told you, and I… I never meant to see-” Harvey raised a hand to silence him.

“It’s okay, Kid, accidents happen.” Harvey still looked embarrassed but he let out a sigh. “Your lover’s an old man, Kid. It’s sad, but it’s true.”

Despite their obvious difference in age, Linkara still thought of Harvey as a young man without any of those adult health problems, so these pills came as a real shock to his system. However, it wasn’t long before his usual stubbornness crept in and caused him to shake his head. "Harvey, you – why would you have these? Everything works fine with you, right? I've never seen you take one of those before we do... that, anyway."

"It doesn't work that way. I take them in the morning and they're supposed to last for a day or two. You're still young, so you wouldn't get it, but I can't always make it happen whenever I want to nowadays. This helps." He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “I guess an old geezer like me should be grateful I don’t need more than those to help me out.” Harvey thought this would be the perfect time to leave, but Linkara suddenly came over and kissed him deeply, wrapping his arms around his torso.

"Don’t call yourself a geezer. You're still young to me, you know." Harvey grinned and laid a kiss on Linkara, rubbing his hands up and down his back. "You do plenty of things that only someone with your experience can do. When we get right down to it, you always hold your own, but that's not really what matters to me. What I love is how you take your time warming me up beforehand; you never cut right to the chase. And afterwards you…you hold me so tight I feel like I can’t escape, but I wouldn’t ever want to. I love how we cuddle up together, whispering in the dark until we both fall asleep. I know I wouldn't get that with someone my age, and I don’t want to be without it now that I know how good it all feels." Linkara's cheeks had grown bright pink with his honest outburst, but he kept Harvey's gaze even when he saw the singer’s eyes becoming misty with emotion.

"You make me feel young again, Kid. I hope this old ticker can keep up with you." Linkara smiled and kissed him, whispering into his ear.

"Maybe later tonight you can show me just how young at heart you really are?" Harvey grinned and let his hands rest on Linkara's backside, squeezing gently.

"Swing, baby."


End file.
